The present invention relates to a port assembly for an enteral feeding bag. In particular, the present invention relates to a port assembly that prevents the insertion of a spike of a parenteral set, while permitting insertion of a spike of an enteral set, into an enteral container.
Collapsible containers for the administration of medical solutions are well known. An example of such a container is the VIAFLEX.RTM. container marketed by Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Deerfield, Illinois. Typically, the containers, also known as "bags", include a port that provides access to the material packaged within the bag. The port includes a tubular structure defining an inner bore. Located within the inner bore is a frangible membrane that provides a barrier between the material (usually a fluid) contained within the bag and the outside environment.
Spikes are used to pierce the frangible membrane and gain access to the fluid within the bag. The spikes are typically part of a set that allows the infusion of the product within the container to a patient.
Such collapsible containers or bags are typically used, in the medical field, for administering parenteral solution, peritoneal dialysis solutions, and enteral feeding compositions. "Parenteral" refers to the infusion of a product intravenously, while "enteral" refers to infusion of the product into the gut, typically through a tube inserted through the nose and into a patient's stomach. Although it is not uncommon that the bags used in enteral and parenteral systems are similar, the functions of the fluids employed in the respective systems are not. Indeed, in many instances, if a solution intended for enteral infusion was mistakenly introduced into a patient parenterally, serious harm to the patient could result.